When I walk out of the temple, I take a deep breath. Thankfully, the guards stayed with the king and Selia instead of waiting for me. Having a moment of space is refreshing, even if I know it’s because there’s nowhere for me to run to escape the peaks of Tempest. Each side of the mountain is a sharp cliff, and the only way to the bottom is to form a Gateway.
I turn right, taking the same path we took to the temple. The snow-covered street is surprisingly warm with magic casting a shell overhead. Even as it snows, most flakes vanish before they reach me.
The snow here isn’t cold sleet like it is back home. It’s flakier. Lighter.
Warmer.
Priestesses walk past, wearing cloaks similar to Lady Reah’s. Their dresses are simpler, but still stunning. Tempest silk instead of lace.
Letia would give her soul for one of these dresses. Fabric that moves with each step like a wave in the ocean. Fluid and mesmerizing. It shines without being iridescent, as if it holds light rather than reflecting it.
The priestesses watch me as they pass, and I bow my head in respect.
“I was wondering when my aunt would let you go.”
I look up to see Greer walking toward me. “Your aunt? That explains why Lady Reah looks so much like Millicent.”
Greer nods, stopping a few paces away. “Reah is the oldest by nearly a thousand years. Millicent and my mother were twins.”
“Were?”
“My mother died in the siege of Tempest a century ago. Both my parents did.” She glances at one of the buildings, and I wonder if she sees something I don’t. The reflection of her memories haunting her.
I’ve read about the rebel siege of Tempest. It marked Vaelier’s first offensive move. They snuck into the temples in the middle of the night, destroying half the city. Glancing around, there’s no proof of that fight. Time and snow have soothed any signs. But I know better than to think physical marks are the extent of the damage.
“I didn’t realize your family was here during the siege.”
Not surprising when it’s rare Greer tells me anything personal.
“It was a long time ago now.” She glances down the path to where voices filter at a distance. “Callum is unpacking the sleep quarters if you were looking for him.”
“I wasn’t looking for anyone in particular. Just walking and thinking.”
“That’s not uncommon after meeting with my aunt. Manycome to Tempest searching for answers, only to leave with more questions.”
“I can see why.” While I did get some answers, they were given in riddles. What little I understood did nothing to ease my mind.
“So you grew up here?” I ask Greer when she starts walking again.
“I was born in Echme, but my parents moved us to Tempest after King Erdem was relieved of his throne by his son. They knew Vaelier might see the change on our throne as a weakness, and they wanted to help.”
“By coming to the temples?”
We turn a corner, reaching an overlook at the edge of a vertical cliff. From the ledge, the entire valley can be seen below.
“Wars are fought on many fronts.” Greer leans against the ledge. “When King Erdem fell, Fae flooded King Malachi’s army, itching for the opportunity to battle the creatures of the Well and prove themselves to their new leader. They hoped the change on the throne meant we were taking a stronger stance on protecting our realm. I wanted to join as well, but my parents brought me here, where they thought I’d be most useful if war broke.”
“How would you be more useful at the temples?” My eyebrows pinch.
Clouds part overhead, brightening Greer’s silvery eyes, and I realize they aren’t actually silver at all. Just like Lady Reah’s aren’t any color in particular, Greer’s shift with the light. With the change of night and morning. With her mood and her clothing. They aren’t one color, simply a reflection of the things around her.
“Are you a seer?” I ask, remembering her ethereal glow in Ruse Village. Magic that was part of her, although she didn’t necessarily wield it.
“A variation of a seer, but not like my aunt. I’m an alchemist;my magic mirrors what’s around me, and I can manipulate the magic of others.”
“So, the light you became in the battle…”
“Was not my magic, no.” Her gaze drifts to the valley. “Seers like my aunt can read the threads to understand the past. A few can peer into the future.”
